Cinemas are coming to the rescue to ensure justice is served early in relation to court cases affecting the Largs area in the the new year - as juries are on the move.

Under the new Covid19 plans, Kilmarnock Sheriff Court will recommence trials from 11 January 2021 but jurors will be based at the ODEON cinema in Ayr.

The multi-screen cinema at Burns Statue Square will instead be a remote jury centre to allow Sheriff Court jury trials to re-start after being shut down by the coronavirus pandemic.

Coronavirus level restrictions do not restrict participation in trials by jurors, victims and legal professionals.

Justice services are deemed essential and remote jury centres are exempt from restrictions affecting cinemas.

Sheriff Court Jury trials will operate from nominated courts in each of the six Sheriffdoms with juries located in a remote jury centre managed by SCTS.

Sheriffs Principal are also making arrangements to transfer business in the respective Sheriffdoms to the nominated courts.

The restart of Sheriff and Jury Trials is overseen by a working group chaired by Sheriff Principal Craig Turnbull and involves a range of practitioners in the justice system. The Ayr Odeon will also show trials for Ayr Sheriff Court in the new eyar.

David Fraser, SCTS Chief Operations Officer said :“The commencement of trials in Edinburgh and Glasgow next week sees the restart of Sheriff Court jury trials. There has been exceptional progress to secure remote jury centre venues required and we intend to move as quickly as possible to the pre-COVID number of sheriff court jury trials proceeding in Scotland.”

Further plans to recommence Sheriff Court jury trials across Scotland have been announced with arrangements for remote jury centres to be created in ODEON cinema complexes in East Kilbride, Dundee and Dunfermline. Contractual arrangements for jury venues in Aberdeen and Inverness are currently being progressed.